He Was Thought To Be Dead
by Magdolin94
Summary: Sequel to My Honor, My Dreams! Zack is still alive. Keeping the title until I can come up with a better one. lol
1. Chapter 1

Zack could hear his own heart beat in his ears and a familiar beep of a heart monitor. Shouldn't he be dead? He should have been. How had he survived? One would think that with the many wounds he had he would have died. Perhaps his injuries were not as severe as he thought, and Cloud; with his small frame had somehow managed to carry his body to a hospital.

But...as he opened his eyes slowly and expecting to be blinded by a bright light he was met with darkness. Zack found this to be quite odd as he tried to blink away his grogginess and felt strange; almost drugged. Maybe the doctor had given him a high dose of something?

His vision was still a little blurry but he could see a gentle green light illuminating part of the wall at the end of the room.

Curious, Zack tried to turn so he could face the light better and figure out where it was coming from but found that he could not move at all. Whatever the doctor had given him must have been strong.

Zack groaned and turned his head slightly, searching for Cloud with his eyes but his young friend was nowhere in sight. His eyes finally landed on a table only big enough for two people though this didn't scare him in the slightest. It was what was on the table that frightened him.

'Please no! Please don't let this be true, please...' Zack thought as his eyes shifted around frantically and his worst fear had come true.

He knew now that he wasn't in a hospital, but a lab.

"Welcome back, my little test subject. You were not the one I was hoping for, but I suppose I can still use you. After all you are the only one close to what I had achieved with the other one." Was he talking about Cloud? Zack felt disgusted by Hojo's voice and the words he chose made him want to puke.

"You don't happen to know where he might be, hmm?"

"Guh..hrmph..."

"Ohohoho! Well that is just too bad."

That was where Zack's torture began.

Every day was different. First; Hojo thought it'd be fun to cut into Zack's skin and pour a light stream of some greenish purple fluid into the wounds he opened, causing Zack to thrash around in agony at the burning sensation. Then he later decided he wanted to shove his hand into the dark haired SOLDIER's stomach, saying that he needed to get 'acquainted' with everything again. From there, it became worse.

Zack had so many unknown liquids injected into him that he felt terribly sick. He was throwing up quite a bit, while feeling shaky and weak.

Never had he felt such pain in all the years he was alive. Only when Zack was certain that Hojo had left him did he let himself silently sob away. He was close to his breaking point.

The torture he was enduring soon became too much for him to bare three months later and felt all self control desert him. Something inside him snapped. Zack; who had been doing so well in keeping his cries from escaping pass his lips, never giving Hojo the satisfaction he wanted, could no longer stop himself from screaming and calling for help.

The crazy scientist had gotten what he wanted and it pained Zack even more to know that.  
The ex-SOLDIER had tried so hard to stay strong but alas, Zack Fair was now broken.

He sat inside his cage like cell, where Hojo had placed him when he had gotten busy with other projects he had going, forgotten. Not that he minded. It'd give him some time to recover from the last traumatic event that occurred.

'If that's even possible...' Zack thought as he shifted slowly into a more comfortable position and regretted moving when his head swam. He hoped that wherever Cloud was, the kid was safe.

* * *

He hated it in there. The guy was creepy and his 'work' was just as creepy. But as much as he hated it, Reno was curious as to what Hojo was doing. The guy had locked himself in his laboratory and nobody could figure out why. So, the red-headed Turk decided to take it upon himself.

When Reno made it to the door he started to get that bad feeling again. This feeling first came to him three months earlier.

Reno had been sitting at his desk supposedly typing up a report but was actually goofing off. Two minutes later, he had twirled himself and the chair around until his stomach churned slightly. At first Reno thought it was because he made himself dizzy, but; he soon found out that that wasn't the case.

last night The red-head was on his way to exiting the building when he thought he heard the sound of a muffled scream and had stopped abruptly, listening intently as he pressed his ear against the door and heard another scream. This time it was a call for help and it had scared him a little.

Now that Hojo was out of the lab due to a meeting he had to attend to Reno took this opportunity to pick the lock and quickly slipped inside, shutting the door behind him.

The Turk wandered and looked around at the different tubes that housed odd and creepy things filled with what he assumed was mako. It gave the room an eerie greenish glow making Reno shudder.

He moved further, finding cages. As the Turk walked up to one that seemed empty he nearly jumped out of his skin when a disturbingly human like creature threw itself against the metal bars with a loud thud. Reno gulped as the creature's eyes locked with his own and he quickly walked further down the long line of cages.

Reno glanced at his watch knowing he still had about two hours before Hojo came back.

He came to an abrupt halt when he heard soft mumbling from one the cells. The voice sounded so familiar to him and he turned slightly to see if he could find the source of it and his jaw dropped. How was it even possible? Who was he, superman?

"Fair?"

Zack jumped at the sound and looked up slowly, finding the fiery red-headed man standing on the other side of his cell and watched as Reno grabbed hold of the metal bars separating them.

"I thought you were dead." Reno said bluntly and Zack frowned a little.

"I thought I was, too." Zack's voice was almost a whisper as he spoke. "Next thing I know I'm here." The dark-haired SOLDIER closed his eyes as his head throbbed.

"Hey, hey! Fair, I'm gonna get you outta here, mkay? You don't look so good."

"Don't feel good either..." Zack mumbled as Reno began pick at the lock on the cage.

"Almost there...Just a little more-Aha! Got it." Reno whispered and stood, opening the door slowly, and cursing as it squeaked. The Turk stepped inside the cell carefully shrugging out of his jacket and placed it over Zack's head who let out a. "What the hell?" and was hoisted up.  
"We can't let anyone recognize you." was the simple answer from the Turk.

Reno looked at his watch one more time as he helped his once best friend walk. He still had plenty of time to get Zack to his apartment.

Once they made it to the elevator(after Reno made sure to lock everything back), Reno used his electro rod to push the elevator security camera towards the wall and finally moved inside pushing the button for his floor.

Zack held on to Reno and the rail for support as he felt his stomach flip when they started moving while the Turk reached into his pocket pulling out his phone and called his usual partner, Rude. "Rude, buddy can you meet me at my apartment? I'm gonna need some help with a little something."

_"I am not helping you raid Elena's underwear drawer again."_

"Pfft, You and I both know you enjoyed it and may I remind you, it was your idea to hang them out on the flag pole."

_"..."_

"Anyway, Just come by when you can." With that, Reno ended their call and helped Zack out of the elevator and into the apartment without being noticed and locked the door once they were inside.

Reno placed Zack onto the couch and removed the jacket from his head tossing it next to the arm of the said couch and took a seat on the edge of the coffee table.

"Fair, look at me." Reno tilted his head trying to gain the other's attention but Zack did nothing. It was like he was staring off into space and it started to annoy him. He reached over, about to grab the ex-SOLDIER by his chin when Zack suddenly mouthed a 'Thank you'.

This caused Reno to stop and put his hand back at his side. "When Rude gets here, you've got some explainin' to do." The red-head stood, making his way into his small kitchenette and returned to the living room with a glass of orange juice, nudging Zack's leg gently.

"Drink."

Zack reached up slowly and took the glass into his hand. It started out as sipping, and turned into gulping it down. Boy, was he thirsty!

"More?" Reno asked with a raised brow and Zack nodded.

"Tylenol, and food?"

"Pills, no. Because I don't know what Hojo's done to you. Food, however is a yes."

Zack smiled softly and closed his eyes, leaning his head on the back of the couch as Reno went into the kitchen. "Reno?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't mention his name again. For my sake."

Reno frowned a little as the mustard missed it's target, the bread, and landed on the counter. "Sure, no problem."

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**AN:** Sorry it took so long to publish this. Let me know what you think. And I apologize if characters are a little OOC _


	2. Chapter 2

Rude finished the paperwork that his comrade had interrupted with his call, and straightened the papers into a neat stack on his desk before he carefully placed the top back on his favorite pen, setting it inside the cup amongst his other basic pens. Rude stood from his uncomfortable seat aware of the indentations he had probably made in the cushion as a result from the long hours he spent sitting on it.

The tough bald man picked up his neat stack of papers and went into the next room over to hand them in. Then, he adjusted his tie and moved in the direction of the elevator only to be stopped by Elena who was going through 'the breakdown' as he called it. All the newbies went through it at some point.

The blonde girl was crying her eyes out as she rambled incoherently about being yelled at, thinking she wasn't cut out for this line work and saying that she was a screw up.

Rude managed to get the woman to stop crying long enough to actually comfort her and gave her his vote of confidence. He watched her leave with a smile on her face, wiping the tears and playing it off as if she just had something in her eye.

For a man who hardly ever spoke, he sure had a way with words. Now, what was he doing again?

Ah! That's right. He was on his way to Reno's apartment. Rude walked into the elevator and leaned forward, pressing the button that would take him to his destination. As the doors slid closed he stood with his hands clasped in front himself; waiting. He wondered why Reno requested his help. Surely the red-head didn't want to pull another prank, right? He hoped not.

The soft ding told him that he reached the floor and the doors opened allowing him to pass through. Rude took his time going down the hallway as he adjusted his sunglasses.

He approached the apartment door and knocked. The door opened slowly, revealing Reno as the one who answered it and said. "What the heck took you so long?" Luckily, Rude was wearing his glasses so Reno didn't see him roll his eyes. "Paperwork. Elena." He replied simply as if that explained everything.

Reno nodded and then opened the door wider for his partner to step inside before he poked his head out to make sure the man wasn't followed. It was not that he did not trust his friend, he just wanted to be on the safe side.

Finally he closed the door, locking it and turned to Rude who was eyeing the dark-haired man on the couch, who was enjoying his 6th sandwich and turned to the red-head. "Reno, Isn't he supposed to..."

"...Be dead? Yeah." Reno said as he took a seat next to Zack on the couch while the ex-SOLDIER dusted bread crumbs off his chest.

"Then how is he still alive?"

The room fell silent for a moment before Reno mouthed 'Hojo' and instantly Rude caught his drift. "Ah." Rude sat quietly in the recliner, as Reno got more comfortable in his seat. "So, Fair. You gonna explain yourself?" The silence from Zack as he picked at a loose thread on the arm of the couch seemed to annoy the red-head and he was tempted to pop him on the head. But; He kept his hands to himself. "Mr. Fair-" Rude started but was cut off by Zack.

"After the Nebelheim incident, Cloud and I became 'his' prisoners..."

"Cloud? You mean Cloud Strife? that kid with spiky blonde hair?" Reno asked slightly surprised. Strife was now in that eco-terrorist group, AVALANCHE which he and Rude and the other Turks encountered a couple of times. Oooh, Zack would not be a happy camper when he found out about that.

Zack nodded. " Four years of him experimenting on, and torturing us until I finally broke out and rescued Cloud. That...Was why we were on the run, from Shin-Ra."

Without saying a word Rude listened to Zack and looked over at his partner. Reno's eyebrows were furrowed and he was biting his lip. The red-head's grip had tightened on the back of the couch too. He was obviously upset.

"We stopped to rest for awhile and then we moved along until we were attacked. We were so close to Midgar when the army found us. I hid Cloud, and thought I could fight them off."

The ex-SOLDIER closed his eyes and sighed. "I was wrong. Although I had lowered their numbers, I knew I had lost and I accepted that I was going to die there." Zack opened his eyes and stared at the the coffee table.

"Hm...I guess 'he' decided it wasn't my time yet, because I found myself back in 'his' lab." After Zack said this, nobody said a word as the three of them felt a little awkward now.

Reno stood up from his spot on the couch and turned to Zack finally breaking the silence between them. "C'mon, Fair. You look tired." The Turk pulled the reluctant man to his feet, quickly catching him as his knees buckled, supporting him.

"Rude, can you get the door for me?" Reno asked, but Rude was already on the task. the older Turk opened the bedroom door and was prepared to see a mess and gasped when he actually found the room to be clean. Spotless even. There was no dirty laundry on the floor, the floor had been vacuumed as well and the bed had been made! 'Holy crap. Reno can clean.' He thought as he looked around.

"C'mon, this guy isn't exactly light y'know." Reno said impatiently, trying to nudge him along.

"Right." Rude moved further into the room stepping out of the red-headed Turk's way before leaving the room and walked into the kitchenette, getting himself a glass of water.

Zack made it to the bed- with Reno's help of course, using his left arm to support himself as he eased down onto it. The ex-SOLDIER frowned slightly; hating the fact that he was in such a weak state right now. "Thanks..." He said softly, and rested his head on the pillow.

"No problem. Yell if you need anything." Reno smiled gently and left the room closing the door behind him to find where his partner had gone.

He found Rude in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with an empty glass beside him. "What do you plan to do with him?" Rude asked. Reno sighed, and pulled a chair away from the small table, turning it and sat with the back of the chair pressed against his front.

He thought a moment as he rocked back and forth slowly, chewing his bottom lip.

"I...I think the best thing for him to do once he's recovered, is to go into hiding. Lay low for awhile until it's safe. But I can't get him there without your help buddy." Reno smirked.

'So that's why he called...' "Good plan. But where?"

"I don't know. I mean, we pretty much know all of Gaia like the back of our hands. So finding a place where nobody could find him would be a difficult task."

Rude nodded. "True." He picked up his glass and put it in the sink.

"We...Could build a small house for him." Reno said thoughtfully. "In the middle of nowhere. Maybe in some part of a forest?" Rude raised an eyebrow. "I think the engineers would notice some of their supplies and equipment had gone missing."

This made Reno frown. "Okay, okay. Uhm...We could look for an abandoned house or cottage or whatever and if we find one, that's where he goes."

"And if we are caught? Do you know what will happen or have you forgotten?"

Reno straightened. How could he forget!? How could he forget what the company did to Cissnei? They labeled her as a traitor and was murdered just for helping Zack like he was doing now and damn it it just wasn't right. Reno took a deep breath, pushing down the anger that was bubbling inside him and replied with a smirk. "Well we'll just have to not get caught then, won't we?"

Now it was Rude's turn to smirk. "Spoken like a true Turk."

"Seriously? Where did that come from?" Reno snickered trying to hold in his laughter so he wouldn't wake his guest and ended up laughing anyway. "I've always wanted to say something like that. And...That moment was perfect." Rude left the kitchen and entered the living room with Reno following him.

That afternoon, Reno and Rude discussed what they'd do and how to get their plan to work.

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**AN:** I apologize for taking so long to write this chapter. I've just been kinda busy with stuff and I'll get to Cloud in the next chapter. Leave me many reviews and lots of love. :3


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